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Security Council Provisional Fifty-Ninth Year United Nations S/PV.4982 Security Council Provisional Fifty-ninth year 4982nd meeting Thursday, 3 June 2004, 4 p.m. New York President: Mr. Baja......................................... (Philippines) Members: Algeria ......................................... Mr. Baali Angola ......................................... Mr. Gaspar Martins Benin .......................................... Mr. Adechi Brazil .......................................... Mr. Sardenberg Chile ........................................... Mr. Muñoz China .......................................... Mr. Wang Guangya France .......................................... Mr. de La Sablière Germany ........................................ Mr. Pleuger Pakistan ........................................ Mr. Akram Romania ........................................ Mr. Motoc Russian Federation ................................ Mr. Konuzin Spain ........................................... Mr. Yáñez-Barnuevo United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ..... Sir Emyr Jones Parry United States of America ........................... Mr. Negroponte Agenda The situation between Iraq and Kuwait This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. 04-37379 (E) *0437379* S/PV.4982 The meeting was called to order at 4.20 p.m. Mr. Brahimi, who, despite the security constraints, travelled throughout Iraq to solicit the views of all sectors of Iraqi society. Over the past months, the Adoption of the agenda Secretary-General’s special envoy, the Iraqi Governing The agenda was adopted. Council and the Coalition Provisional Authority were engaged in an exercise of broad national consultation The situation between Iraq and Kuwait that included public meetings and that reached out to tribal, religious and community leaders, political The President: Pursuant to the understanding parties from inside and outside the Governing Council, reached in the Council’s prior consultations, and with prominent individuals and women’s groups, among the consent of the Council, I shall take it that the others. The selection of the interim Government was Security Council agrees to extend an invitation to His based on merit and qualifications, with an element of Excellency Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Minister for Foreign political and social balancing. While it represents the Affairs of Iraq, to participate in the meeting, without vast majority of the people of Iraqi society, it would the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant have been impossible to include the more than 400 provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s political parties and associations that have provisional rules of procedure. mushroomed to date in the new and free Iraq. There being no objection, it is so decided. I would like to thank the United Nations, Member At the invitation of the President, Mr. Zebari States and Secretary-General Kofi Annan for their (Iraq) took a seat at the Council table. support and assistance in the formation of the interim Government. I am grateful in particular for the ongoing The President: I welcome the presence at this efforts of Mr. Brahimi, who has been an excellent meeting of the Secretary-General, His Excellency facilitator in achieving this successful outcome. Mr. Kofi Annan. This process, in our view, was reasonably The Security Council will now begin its legitimate and decent. We cannot say that it was totally consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security perfect, but I think the outcome will prove in the days Council is meeting in accordance with the ahead to have been the best there could be under the understanding reached in its prior consultations. current circumstances. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a Today I would urge the continued support of the briefing by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, His international community through the adoption of a new Excellency Mr. Hoshyar Zebari. At the end of the draft Security Council resolution to endorse the briefing, I will give the floor to Council members who establishment of the sovereign interim Government. I wish to make comments or ask questions. As there is urge the Council to adopt such a draft resolution as no list of speakers for this meeting, I would invite soon as possible, to support the ongoing political Council members who wish to take the floor to so process, reaffirm the need for Iraq to control its own indicate to the Secretariat as from now. resources and recognize Iraq’s need for the continued I now give the floor to the Minister for Foreign presence of a multinational force in partnership with Affairs of Iraq, His Excellency Mr. Hoshyar Zebari. the Iraqi authorities. Mr. Zebari (Iraq): On Tuesday, 1 June, the We strongly welcome and encourage adoption of people of Iraq took the first step towards regaining the positive text of the draft resolution, now under their full sovereignty and independence. United consideration, and hereby present our views and Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi supervised the proposed amendments so that the draft resolution may introduction of a new interim Iraqi Government to correspond more fully to the wishes and aspirations of assume authority on 30 June, which marks a major the Iraqi people. Iraq’s views must be represented and success in Iraq’s transition towards democracy and heard by all, as this draft resolution will be an towards ending the legal occupation of our country. endorsement of the democratic process that the Iraqi people have chosen to pursue, and as it is their interests The formation of the interim Government was the that lie at the heart of it. result of an extensive consultation process promoted by 2 S/PV.4982 We seek a new and unambiguous draft resolution democratic process. A preparatory committee has that underlines the transfer of full sovereignty to the already been identified for the conference. An electoral people of Iraq and their representatives. The draft commission has also been established to supervise resolution must mark a clear departure from Security elections, with the help and support of experts from the Council resolutions 1483 (2003) and 1511 (2003), United Nations. Part of the mandate of the caretaker which legitimized the occupation of our country. By Government is to work closely with the United Nations removing the label of occupation we will deprive the and its agencies to prepare for general elections to be terrorists and anti-democratic forces of a rallying point held in 2005. To achieve this, we seek the continued to foment violence in our country. advice and support of the United Nations and call upon the Member States to assist Iraq in ensuring security We expect that the draft resolution will endorse a conditions conducive to holding elections. genuine and comprehensive transfer of power on 30 June. This means investing full authority in the interim In this respect, we Iraqis are grateful to the Government to run Iraq’s affairs, make its own coalition that helped liberate us from the persecution of decisions and have authority over Iraq’s security Saddam Hussein’s regime. We thank President Bush matters. This transfer of sovereignty must also and Prime Minister Blair for their dedication and authorize the interim Government to control, commitment to this mission and we recognize the administer and manage Iraq’s resources and assets. Iraq sacrifices of all coalition forces in helping the people must have a leading role in mechanisms agreed upon of Iraq realize a stable, free and democratic Iraq. We by the Security Council to monitor disbursement of its must also recognize the sacrifices made by our people resources. in this noble cause. The overthrow of the former regime led to the total collapse of the State and its We recognize that the formation of the interim institutions and since April last year we have been Government is a milestone in the broader political working very hard to re-establish Iraq’s security, process as defined in the 15 November agreement, military and police forces. which I presented to the Council in December 2003. In that respect, the Transitional Administrative Law, However, we have yet to reach the stage of being which defines the interim law during this transitional able to maintain our own security and therefore the period, is fundamental to the political process. From people of Iraq need and request the assistance of the now until the end of 2005, the Transitional multinational forces to work closely with Iraqi forces Administrative Law will be the only legal framework to stabilize the situation. I stress that any premature and the interim arrangement that reflects the wishes of departure of international troops would lead to chaos the majority of the Iraqi people for a free, united and and the real possibility of a civil war in Iraq. This democratic Iraq. would cause a humanitarian crisis and provide a foothold for terrorists to launch their evil campaign in Principles enshrined in the Transitional our country and beyond our borders. The continued Administrative Law reflect Iraq’s path of reform and presence of the multinational force will help preserve democratization;
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